The appointment of Slavko Vinčić as the referee for the final of the 2026 World Cup between Spain and Argentina raised questions before the match for various reasons and, after the Spanish victory by 1-0, the debate gained even more momentum. Beyond his performance during the 120 minutes, FIFA decided to place a referee with a remarkable background at the forefront of the tournament's most important match: the Spanish national team had never lost a match under his officiating.
This fact was not insignificant. Before the final held in New Jersey, Vinčić had already officiated Spain five times and the record was overwhelmingly favorable: three wins and two draws. With the success against the Albiceleste, the record stood at six matches without defeats.
The series began on June 7, 2017, when Spain drew 2-2 against Colombia in an international friendly. Then came the goalless draw against Sweden in the group stage of Euro 2020.
From there on, all were wins. The Slovenian referee officiated the 2-1 victory over Italy in the 2023 Nations League semifinals, repeated his presence in the 1-0 against the Italians during the group stage of Euro 2024, and was also present in the semifinal of that tournament, where La Roja defeated France 2-1 to reach the final.
